Michael McDonald

One of the most popular purveyors of "blue-eyed soul" in the 1970s and 1980s, singer Michael McDonald enjoyed success with the popular rock band the Doobie Brothers before launching a solo career that...
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Michael McDonald: 'Kanye West should learn an instrument before criticising Beck'

By:
WENN.com
Feb 18, 2015

Veteran singer/songwriter Michael Mcdonald has urged rapper Kanye West to learn to play an instrument and write "two bars of valid music" before criticising Beck's Grammy win. West stormed the stage at the recent Grammy Awards to protest as Beck picked up the Best Album prize, and he later declared Beyonce was the more deserving winner and ordered the prolific musician to hand the trophy over to the pop singer.
The hip-hop star has now come under fire from Doobie Brothers legend McDonald, who insists West has no right to criticise Beck because rapping over a computer-generated backing track does not make him an expert on music.
He tells Ultimate Classic Rock, "It's pretty obvious what Kanye's problem is. When Kanye gets to a point where he can actually put a couple of notes together either vocally or two bars of valid music playing an instrument, then he might have a right to criticise somebody else. Until then, I think he's just talking to hear the sound of his own voice.
"The whole kinda cut-and-paste thing is a certain kind of art form all by itself. I don't know if I call it songwriting from a musician's standpoint... Beck is obviously a consummate musician. He plays instruments, many instruments. He can make his own record without having a fleet of computer operators onboard."

Sandra Bullock invited her celebrity friends including comediennes Chelsea Handler and Whitney Cummings, actors Anthony Mackie and Michael McDonald, and Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves to celebrate the Mardi Gras festival in her adopted hometown of New Orleans on Monday night (16Feb15). The pals were photographed wearing masks and multiple bead necklaces. The Oscar winner became a part-time resident of the Louisiana city after adopting New Orleans-born son Louis, now five, there in 2010.

Actor Michael Keaton is in talks to play the founder of global burger giant McDonald's in an upcoming biopic.
The Birdman star, who earned his first Golden Globe during Sunday's (11Jan15) prizegiving, is at the top of the shortlist for The Founder, a dark drama about the rise of the fast food empire.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Keaton would play Ray Kroc, a salesman who met brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in the 1950s when they were running a burger operation in Southern California. Kroc was impressed with their skills and managed to buy the company from the McDonald brothers to create his own billion-dollar empire.
The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock is set to helm the film, which will be produced by FilmNation and The Combine, which is run by Jeremy Renner and his partner Don Handfield.

Miranda Lambert was crowned the queen of country music after taking home four trophies at the 2014 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (05Nov14).
The Mama's Broken Heart singer picked up almost half of her nine nominations, including her fifth consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year prize. Lambert also nabbed Album of the Year for Platinum, and Single of the Year (Automatic). She also scored the Musical Event of the Year award for her we Were Us collaboration with Keith Urban.
The night's other big winner was Luke Bryan, who took home the coveted Entertainer of the Year honor. Lambert's husband Blake Shelton added another trophy to the couple's collection after he was named Male Vocalist of the Year for the fifth time.
Other victors included Little Big Town (Vocal Group of the Year), Florida Georgia Line (Vocal Duo of the Year), and Kacey Musgraves, who took home the Song of the Year award for Follow Your Arrow.
Vince Gill picked up a special award recognising his impact on country music - the Irving Waugh Award of Excellence has only been given to one other person - late legend Johnny Cash.
The evening at Nashville, Tennessee's Bridgestone Arena kicked off with two high-energy performances from Kenny Chesney and Lambert, who teamed up with Meghan Trainor for a rendition of her number one hit All About That Bass. Co-hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley each took the stage to perform their latest singles, and there were also sets from Urban, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, and a duet from Eric Church and George Strait.
Other performances came from The Band Perry, who honoured ailing country music icon Glen Campbell by singing his song Gentle On My Mind, while Little Big Town joined Ariana Grande to sing her hit Bang Bang.
Musgraves surprised the audience by bringing country icon Loretta Lynn onstage for a rendition of her 1971 hit You're Lookin' at Country, and The Doobie Brothers were joined by Hunter Hayes, Jennifer Nettles and Hillary Scott for two renditions of the Michael McDonald-led band's hits.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, actresses Connie Britton and Lucy Hale, and supermodel Lily Aldridge were among the presenters at the ceremony.
The full list of winners for the 2014 Country Music Association Awards is as follows:
Entertainer of the Year: Luke Bryan
Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
New Artist of the Year: Brett Eldredge
Album of the Year: Platinum - Miranda Lambert
Song of the Year: Follow Your Arrow - Kacey Musgraves
Single of the Year: Automatic - Miranda Lambert
Music Video of the Year: Drunk on a Plane - Dierks Bentley
Musical Event of the Year: We Were Us - Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban
Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally, Guitar

Vince Gill was honoured with a special prize at the BMI Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday night (04Nov14). The annual prizegiving, held by rights management company Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), was held at the organisation's headquarters and Gill was the guest of honour as he picked up the Icon Award for his songwriting career.
Keith Urban, Ashley Monroe and Michael McDonald performed a tribute to Gill at the event, while Rhett Akins was named Songwriter of the Year and Darius Rucker's track Wagon Wheel was feted as Song of the Year.

Actress Lynda Bellingham was laid to rest at a small, private funeral on Monday (03Nov14). The Canadian/British star died aged 66 on 19 October (14) following a battle with bowel cancer.
On Monday, she was mourned by friends and family at Church of St. Bartholomew in Somerset, England at a funeral service which her widower Michael Pattemore organised according to his wife's instructions.
The actress wanted the memorial to be a "lively celebration" so her best friend, British actor Christopher Biggins, arrived in a pink suit and made jokes during his tribute.
Speeches were also made by Bellingham's former panellists on British talk show Loose Women, Jane McDonald and Denise Welch, and British actress Maureen Lipman, as well as by her sister, husband and two sons Michael and Robbie.
Fireworks were let off as mourners, including Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, singer Coleen Nolan and actor Robert Lindsay, left the church.
Another service will take place in London on 11 February (14).

Gregg Allman, Patty Griffin and Eric Church are among the musicians who are lining up to pay tribute to veteran R&B and gospel singer Mavis Staples at a special birthday concert later this year (14). Aaron Neville, Michael McDonald and Taj Mahal, among others, have also signed up to salute The Staples Singers star at the I'll Take You There - Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples gig in her native Chicago, Illinois.
Staples herself will join her former collaborators and peers onstage to belt out her most famous hits at the 19 November (14) show.
She marked the age milestone in July (14).

Hugh Jackman, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Osbourne were among the stars who mourned the death of legendary comedienne Joan Rivers at her funeral in New York on Sunday (07Sep14). Record mogul Clive Davis, actors Matthew Broderick, Rosie O'Donnell, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth and Bernadette Peters, funnywoman Kathy Griffin, fashion designers Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Michael Kors, property mogul Donald Trump and newswomen Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer also turned out to pay their final respects to Rivers, who was remembered in a private ceremony at the Temple Emanu-El synagogue, where she was a member.
Hundreds of fans lined the streets outside the temple as inside, U.S. shockjock Howard Stern delivered a touching eulogy to the comedic icon, crediting her with fighting "the stereotype that women couldn't be funny".
He even managed to raise a few laughs from guests by quipping, "(Rivers was) the best friend in the world... a big sister... a crazy aunt at a bar mitzvah."
Broadway star Audra McDonald performed Nat King Cole classic Smile, before additional tributes from news anchor Deborah Norville, New York Post columnist Cindy Adams and Rivers' only child, daughter Melissa, who thanked everyone for their condolences, saying, "We are humbled."
X-Men star Hugh Jackman helped to bring the ceremony to a close, honouring Rivers' memory with a rendition of Peter Allen song, Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage, which features the repeated lyrics, "Put your hands together", while a band of bagpipe players performed as mourners filed out of the temple.
Rivers died on Thursday (04Sep14), a week after suffering a cardiac and respiratory arrest during a routine throat operation.
The exact cause of death is still under investigation after an initial autopsy proved inconclusive.
The 81 year old's body had been cremated on Saturday (06Sep14), ahead of Sunday's funeral service.
Reports suggest she will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, where fellow late icons Michael Jackson, Clark Gable and Walt Disney are also interred.
Rivers' publicist has asked for donations to be made to her favourite charities, meal delivery service God's Love, We Deliver, Guide Dogs for the Blind and California grief support centre Our House, in lieu of flowers.

We opened 2014 with heated anticipation for the next great turns from Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Christopher Nolan, Lars von Trier, and a number of other cinematic vets. But the year has also treated us to a hefty sum of noteworthy first timers. We've caught a wide variety of debut attempts over the course of these past eight months, with enough qualitative range to incite reactions from "The next Hitchcock!" to "I might be able to get you a gig with my friend who does wedding videos, but don't tell him you know me." Here's a quick rundown of the debut flicks we've seen so far in '14, from great to terrible.
THE GREAT
Tribeca Film via Everett Collection
Palo AltoDirector: Gia CoppolaWhy we're already on her bandwagon: In the vein of her aunt Sofia, the young Gia Coppola showcases an indubitable understanding of upper class ennui.
Hide Your Smiling Faces Director: Daniel Patrick CarboneWhy we're already on his bandwagon: Carbone's primarily wordless coming-of-age drama shows off his patience and pensiveness, not to mention his ability to skirt the self-importance than many films of Smiling Faces' ilk seem to bear.
Obvious ChildDirector: Gillian RobespierreWhy we're already on her bandwagon: It's funny as hell even within the margins of genre tradition, and sweet without succumbing to Hollywood sugar.
THE VERY GOOD
Zeitgeist Films
Zero MotivationDirector: Talya LavieShows promise of: A knack for absurdist humor and grounded character relationships alike.
It Felt Like LoveDirector: Eliza HittmanShows promise of: A uniquely keen empathy for how young people conduct themselves, both internally and among one another.
THE GOOD
Tribeca Film via Everett Collection
The Bachelor Weekend/The StagDirector: John ButlerShows potential in: A good sense of humor, especially when it veers closer to Apatow than McKay.
Are You HereDirector: Matthew WeinerShows potential in: Social commentary through character construction, but Weiner needs a better handle on cinematic pacing.
The One I LoveDirector: Charlie McDowellShows potential in: Big ideas, and the presentation thereof, but lacks in the ultimate execution of where they can and ought to go.
THE SO-SO
Drafthouse Films via Everett Collection
Beneath the Harvest SkyDirector: Aron Gaudet and Gita PullapillyThere's room for improvement regarding: A sharper attention to the characters and story, which occasionally fade out of focus at the behest of a vivid North Maine setting.
LullabyDirector: Andrew LevitasThere's room for improvement regarding The acerbic but knowing humor shared by the central family members, in favor of the intense melodrama that the film feels impelled to stuff itself with from time to time.
Cheap ThrillsDirector: E.L. KatzThere's room for improvement regarding: The energy set toward invoking a truly interesting story or course of events, rather than the allowance of the "weird" or "dangerous" to take the wheel altogether like it does here.
TammyDirector: Ben FalconeThere's room for improvement regarding: An authentic commitment to the sincerity in the characters, in place of wild and wacky antics like jetski crashes and deer mouth-to-mouth... though these were probably studio notes, we have to assume.
THE BAD
Music Box Films via Everett Collection
Winter’s TaleDirector: Akiva GoldsmanWhat we hope he gets right next time: A more defined storytelling goal. While some of the film's elements worked in a vaccuum, Goldsman had been gestating a Winter's Tale adaptation for years, coming out the gate with something that is oddly both convoluted and terribly narrow.
MaleficentDirector: Robert StrombergWhat we hope he gets right next time: More Angie.
A Coffee in Berlin/Oh BoyDirector: Jan Ole GersterWhat we hope he gets right next time: A better understanding of the fine line between cheeky and irritating.
Earth to EchoDirector: Dave GreenWhat we hope he gets right next time: Ditch the essentially pointless found footage antic and hone in on the fleeting spirit of the kids.
THE WORST
Vertical Entertainment
TranscendenceDirector: Wally PfisterWhy we're nervous for his future: Pfister is a skilled cinematographer, but his grasp of character, story, and ambiance seem dangerously absent.
Goodbye to All ThatDirector: Angus McLachlanWhy we're nervous for his future: Ambitions seem to fall shy of originality, settling instead on retreading the same indie dramedy territory we've seen time and time again, but without any discernible charisma.
If I StayDirector: R.J. CutlerWhy we're nervous for his future: A dastardly aesthetic, paper-thin characters, a devoted marriage to teen movie cliches, and a potentially dangerous mentality driving the story altogether do not bode well for Cutler's future behind the camera.
Behaving BadlyDirector: Tim GarrickWhy we're nervous for his future: Because he thought this horrible thing could work.
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Singer Michael Mcdonald has paid tribute to an African-American teenager killed by a police officer in his native Missouri by releasing a statement about the tragedy. Michael Brown was shot dead by a local police officer investigating a robbery on 9 August (14). The tragedy has sparked a series of heated protests between locals, police and U.S. Marshals in Ferguson, and the former Doobie Brothers singer is saddened to see what is occurring in his hometown.
A statement from McDonald reads: "As someone who spent his first 18 yrs (years) in the St. Louis area, (14 of them in Ferguson...), I pray for the family of Michael Brown and the entire community that is originally my home town to which I still feel a strong connection.
"I pray this tragic event and the still greater issue that it heralds will be faced and dealt with in an honest and responsible manner by the residents of Ferguson and the people in its leadership positions..."
He continues, "However on a larger landscape, mustn't we ask ourselves why we're hearing more and more about the incidents of young black males being gunned down by law enforcement not just in my home town of Ferguson... but all over this country.
"What I think needs to be honestly examined by the larger national community, is the difference between what constitutes a valid reason for use of deadly force when a young white male is the suspected perpetrator of a crime and what those standards seem to be when the suspect is African American. How many tragic losses of this nature must we endure before we're called to conscience on this issue."
Fellow Missouri native Nelly has also spoken out about the ongoing crisis in Ferguson. The rapper also took part in a peace rally earlier this week (beg18Aug14).

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Summary

One of the most popular purveyors of "blue-eyed soul" in the 1970s and 1980s, singer Michael McDonald enjoyed success with the popular rock band the Doobie Brothers before launching a solo career that kicked into high gear with the 1982 single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near). " His dusky baritone and heartfelt delivery, which earned equal parts artists' respect and comic parody, kept him at the top of the <i>Billboard</i> charts for much of the 1980s before his signature brand of polished soft rock fell out of favor with listeners. McDonald kept active as a guest vocalist and live performer until rebounding in 2002 with two collections of Motown covers that sparked considerable interest among baby boomer audiences and those who grew up with his solo work. McDonald's subsequent efforts, which included a 2010 joint tour with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs, walked a careful line between nostalgia and homage to great music of the past, which did much to preserve his status as a relevant and respected R&B artist.